DrugSense Why we love reforming drug policy

* The Activism. While we may not headline drug policy media coverage,
no doubt we have had something to do with it. Via our numerous
activism tools, we have become the Internet backbone for reform. A
couple of examples:

Our archive now contains over 100 articles about Olympic champion
Michael Phelps http://www.mapinc.org/people/Michael+Phelps. These
articles and their circulation through our numerous e-mail discussion
lists and websites inspired a coordinated campaign of response,
including a boycott of Kelloggs, as seen in our most recent Focus
Alert: "Kelloggs Gets Stupid over a Bong"
http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0394.html.

A similar, but more intensive media campaign turned the tide in a
small, but now infamous Texas town: Tulia. In 1999, 46 of the town’s
black residents faced drug charges fabricated by one rogue cop. This
saga can be tracked through over 800 articles about it in our DrugNews
Archive http://www.mapinc.org/tulia.htm, and the positive outcome can,
in part, be attributed to the activists who focused media attention on
this injustice using our aforementioned activism tools.

* The Camaraderie. Want to participate in change? Why not become part
of our network of reform activists?

Volunteers are the heart and soul of DrugSense. They have lovingly
built and continue to maintain our DrugNews Archive. They scour the
news for important articles and respond to them with compelling
letters. You can learn more about media activism and become a part of
our media activism family by visiting http://mapinc.org/how2.htm.

Your group can also become part of the family of drug policy
organizations hosted by our Drug Policy Central. We offer a wide
variety of services including Web design, email lists, databases,
newsfeeds, forms, technical support, and much more.
http://www.drugpolicycentral.com/

* The Events. Here’s where you meet and interact with people who share
your passion for change. You’ll hear great speakers, attend fun
parties, and gain great ideas that you can implement at home. Check
out these events:

* The Results. Perhaps the best part of drug policy reform is the
results gained from our activism. Medical marijuana is now legal in 13
states, Rockefeller Laws are tumbling, and our new president supports
public health and harm reduction strategies like needle exchange. Both
Michael Phelps and Tulia, Texas show what we can accomplish through
coordinated media activism campaigns using DrugSense/MAP tools.

However, every good love affair and relationship takes ongoing work
and attention, which is why we ask for your continued support.
http://www.drugsense.org/donate. Our news archive and media activism
tools are FREE, but they cost time and money to create and produce
results. Your dollars help fund activism, camaraderie, events, and the
positive results of effective drug policy reform.